Standard disclaimer: I don't own any of these people, places or things. Heck, even most of the verbs belong to someone else. :-) All characters and settings © Nintendo. Hey, they've earned it.

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Chapter Six: Bolero of Blades

The Zora River, broad yet shallow, flowed behind the force now. Rolling hills were giving way to a field, and the desert was coming into view at last. A distant glittering gold, the late dawn light illuminating it with stark beauty, told the princess they would most likely see battle before the day was out. And it will end at last, one way or the other, Zelda thought, torn between hope and fear.

Link, as always, was with the vanguard, eyes sharpened by years of battle and training probing ahead. She tried not to think of the losses of the night before when she saw him. They had lost only a handful, but every one of them was a hero of Hyrule, and burying the dead had sobered them all.

"Gerudos!" A scout called. "Gerudo on the horizon! From behind!"

Farore! The force took cover, making it as necessary, and braced themselves. If we have to fight off Gerudos coming through the hills, this is going to get unspeakably ugly, Zelda thought with concern. Oh gods -- how did they get past Marth and Darunia?! Archers prepared a deadly volley, and enough mana swirled around the force to shatter the hills they now faced.

A single Gerudo on a horse rode out, the Spirit Medallion's mark flying on her banner. She wore pink, and only one Gerudo Zelda knew wore pink. "I surrender," Nabooru drawled.

"Farore's Wind!" Zelda shouted, appearing all but on top of Nabooru. She levitated next to the Spirit Sage and hugged her fiercely, while her warriors, all on foot, trickled from the hills to join the Hylian force. "How in Nayru's name?"

Nabooru laughed. "So there we are, holed up in the Spirit Temple, and I'm going mad with worry. How are you people going to manage without me?" She held up a pretty pink Ocarina. "I've heard the Prelude of Light enough times that I know it by heart now, and two dozen Gerudo warriors move a lot faster than five hundred Hylians carrying supplies, even if I am the only one mounted." Nabooru made a face at that.

"Two dozen?" Zelda asked, chuckling at her fellow Sage's expression.

"It took a few trips," Nabooru said with a pirate's grin. "So, are we welcome?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow even as Link loped over to them. "You are joking," the princess drawled. Nabooru laughed again and leaped down, hugging Zelda back.

"Nabooru?" Link asked, smiling and incredulous. "How...?" To him, she merely held up the Fairy Ocarina, and the Hero laughed as well. "Saria. Gods bless her."

"So. What's the plan?" Nabooru asked. Zelda sobered quickly, though Link was still beaming, greeting his Gerudo friends.

Gesturing vaguely around them, the Sage of Time gazed into Nabooru's eyes meaningfully. "Surprise," she said softly.

Nabooru nodded. "Ahhh. I thought I sensed spirits alien to this land. A brilliant plan, I think. With luck, the one thing even Ganondorf will not suspect. Perhaps even can not suspect, which is what you hope, I take it." Zelda nodded. "You do realize he must know about this force by now, at least?"

The princess sighed. "I was hoping to hide our approach better, but the river is central to our strategy, for reasons that must be obvious to you." Nabooru nodded, grinning. She and Ruto do seem to like each other. It's hard to tell, though, seeing how rarely they meet. Zelda turned to face the desert once more. "Any idea what Ganondorf's up to?"

"He's hitting the valley defense hard, if the Town Market talk is to be believed," Nabooru replied. "The strategy there is obvious. Last anyone heard, however, they were holding." She chuckled. "Most of the rest of the talk is about romance." Zelda bit her lip, feeling the tips of her ears grow warm. "Well, some of it is about Malon and a cute knight she's fawning over, but yes, most of it is about the brave, magnificent princess and her gorgeous peasant Hero." She clasped her hands together and made mock-vacuous eyes. "Oh, it's sooo romantic!" Nabooru placed the back of her hand on her head and pretended to swoon.

"Oh leave off, Nabooru," Zelda replied, folding her arms.

Link trotted over, glancing at the pair oddly, then turned to the Spirit Sage. "Hey Nabooru, where's Telma? You must have brought her with you, right?"

Nabooru's smile vanished, and she looked away. "We...lost her during...one of Ganondorf's recent assaults." Link went pale. Gods. Telma? Zelda remembered the mighty warrior's laugh, her indomitable spirit, her seeming invincibility against the horrors Twinrova had sent against them. Gone. Just another casualty. I can scarcely believe it.

She shook her head quickly. No. I can't afford this, not now. The princess placed a hand on the Hero's shoulder. He took a deep, shuddering breath, then nodded, wiping away a few tears. Of course. He's visited Nabooru's forces regularly. He must have known Telma well. Zelda nodded back, patted him on the shoulder, and walked back toward the main body of the force. "Lord General," she called. Onox rode to her side. "Suggestions?"

"Gerudo tactics do not mesh well with the fundamentals of Hylian strategy and planning," he replied evenly. "They will, however, make excellent scouts and bolster the van nicely. I suggest we spread them out along the edge in small squads of four to six, serving with equal numbers of our own scouts. The Hero can take those he knows best with him; they'll no doubt suit his, ah, unorthodox style better than knights."

Zelda ignored the implied insult. "Agreed. I'll make the arrangements..." she looked into the distance. "...shortly. I sense something." Scouts and psychics reacted seconds after she did, the undifferentiated dot resolving into a white mote in the air above a small mass of people. "Is that a flag of truce?" she asked, not bothering to hide her surprise.

Impa appeared beside her. Zelda was mildly surprised to see Onox pull back, his horse rearing slightly. "It is," the Shadow Sage replied. "Ganondorf himself is bringing a small force and what appears to be coffins."

"Coffins?" Zelda peered out into the sands. "Are they trading bodies? I know that's a Gerudo tradition, but I thought Nabooru said he'd abandoned it." She frowned. "Didn't we bury the few Gerudos with that force we ran into last night?"

Impa nodded. "It should be simple enough to retrieve them with sorcery, though." She glared at the white flag as if it were a rattler. "What concerns me is Ganondorf's flexible definition of honor. Some things, he certainly will not do, but deception is part of his blood. Worse, Kotake has no honor at all."

"I don't sense her, and I think I would," Zelda replied, crossing her arms and tapping her shoulder with one finger. "Let's hear what he has to say." With that, she vaulted onto Picori and rode forward. Link made one of his odd sounds of surprise and mounted Epona quickly, riding up to her in moments. Impa simply kept up on foot.

"Gods, Zelda!" Link gripped Epona's reins tightly. He glanced around them, searching for words even as he looked for ambushes, but found neither. Ashei and Rusl caught them up within a minute as well.

"You're cute when you're speechless," Zelda said with a giggle. "Then again, you're always cute." Link's ears turned pink. I think he's acclimating, she mused. Soon, however, she turned her full attention to the approaching force. Ganondorf was on his monstrous black steed, Gerudo horsewomen to either side of him. Three carts brought up the rear. The dead, Zelda realized, growing serious instantly.

"Ah, the Princess Zelda," Ganondorf said with a surprisingly cultured voice. "A pleasure."

"Not a surprise, though, from the sound of it," Zelda replied coolly. "To what do we owe the 'pleasure,' Your Majesty?"

"A trade of casualties," Ganondorf said, gesturing grandly at the carts with a sweep of his arm. "Nothing more." He leaned forward and smiled without kindness or mercy. "I come to crush you tomorrow at the latest." Link rode up and around Zelda to come between her and Ganondorf, an almost feral snarl rippling from him. Zelda placed a hand on his arm and gently guided him back, Epona stepping backwards easily, so she could face their nemesis again. "Consider it a final...courtesy," he said then, chuckling darkly.

"Thank you," Zelda said, voice shifting to full coldness. "We'll return them to Hyrule for proper burial after we put paid to you and your criminals."

Two warriors in purple hissed at that and spurred their horses forward, but Ganondorf held up his hand and they stopped immediately. "Such spirit. And I thought that was Nabooru's position." He began to turn, then glanced back. "Have you any bodies to trade?"

"Not here," Zelda said, sympathy creeping into her voice in spite of herself. "We buried the dead from our last battle. We can use sorcery to retrieve them..."

Ganondorf looked into the distance, eyes unfocusing, and nodded to himself. "That will not be necessary. I know the place. I will use my own powers to return them for proper burning." Zelda nodded. The Gerudo King gestured in dismissal, and his warriors turned to go. "Keep the horses for now. We'll reclaim them at the appropriate time."

"Again, thank you," she said dubiously. Ganondorf glanced behind him while she examined the carts, slowing for the obvious purpose of watching her. It doesn't matter. I won't let that tyrant unnerve me. Link and Impa were scanning the coffins and carts with deliberate care, clearly checking for traps. Zelda's clairvoyance told her there were none. It also, however, gave her a nebulous sense of foreboding.

Ice gripped her heart when, with a shock, she realized there was but a single coffin in the rear cart, raised on a small dais, larger than the others. The wood was worked and finished, in tremendous contrast to the crude boxes holding the other soldiers. "no," she whispered, literally flying from Picori onto the cart.

"Zelda, be careful!" Link warned, riding over to her and leaping to her side. Even as close as they'd become, he seemed distant, almost unreal.

The coffin had a golden, stylized image of a crown adorning it. With a cry, Zelda flung it open with her bare hands.

Her father's body was rent with terrible wounds, but his expression was almost serene, his hands folded across his chest as if he were taking a pleasant nap. The corners of his mouth had turned up, hinting at a smile that seemed to have not quite formed, or perhaps not quite faded away. "He died well," Ganondorf called, the sadism gone from his voice. "He could have chosen captivity, a hostage to be held over you, but instead he fought a Gerudo in a duel of honor. He acquitted himself admirably."

Zelda was aware that the evil king had spoken, but the part of her mind that understood him was vague and distant. She fell to her knees, trembling hands tracing the lines of her father's face. He was cold, so cold in spite of the growing heat of the day. His skin was almost clammy, almost unnatural. Throwing her head back, Zelda howled in grief and denial. Link's arms had wrapped around her at some point, and there was a trickle of comfort in that, but cold comfort indeed.

King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule was dead. Dead at the hands of Ganondorf Dragmire after triumphing over countless threats to the peace he'd spent a lifetime forging. Zelda's mind and heart returned to the world of the living, and through streams of tears she stared daggers at the black-armored figure retreating across the desert. "You'll pay for this, Dragmire! Do you hear me?! YOU'LL PAY!" Spent at last, she fell across her father's body, weeping uncontrollably. The grief seemed endless, but finally even that drained away, as cold and empty as her father's aura. The last thing she heard before Link finally scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the forming camp was Dragmire's accursed laughter, his vile humor having returned at last. Pray Link kills you, King of Evil, she thought bitterly. I can't find that mercy for you. She gripped Link's tunic then and sobbed once more, the grief hitting her anew. Oh, father!

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Link paced like a caged wolf. I hate feeling helpless, he thought furiously, glancing at the tent that Impa had directed him to after their awful morning. The sun beat down on them relentlessly. It wasn't quite the desert sun, but they were close enough that it, along with the sorrow, sapped the Hylians' strength. Zelda was grieving in that tent, and though he'd gone to her time and again, holding her, doing what little he could to comfort her, the woman he loved simply wasn't there. Her body was, even her mind was, still performing her duties with a dull, empty voice, but her heart and soul seemed to be accompanying her father on his journey. You were a great man and a great king, Daphnes Nohansen, Link thought, grieving more than a little himself. Din cleanse you, Nayru heal you, and Farore welcome you home. Surely Daphnes would be welcome in the Sacred Realm, after his many accomplishments and his endless generosity.

Nevertheless, Zelda was unquestionably foremost in his thoughts. First Senza, now this. It's not fair. Guilt tried to strike at him then, a viper forming in the shadows, but a lifetime of facing death crushed it aborning. No. They're right. I can't be everywhere at once. He turned in his pacing, and stopped at the sight of Impa standing in his path, her eyes taking in both the Hero and the tent opening. "Even you cannot face every foe for her, Hero of Time," she said softly.

"Why not?" Link retorted, suddenly angry. "What says I can't help her now?"

"I did not say you would be of no help," Impa replied gently, and guilt did hit Link then, guilt at taking his own grief out on the Sheikah, "but in the end, only she can decide if she has the strength to face her pain and move on."

"Move on?!" Link half-snarled. "She's had hours to deal with the death of her searing father! She's entitled to a little time!"

"What she is entitled to," Impa said sadly, looking out at the desert, "and what destiny will permit her, are two different matters entirely." The Sheikah's eyes narrowed, and needle-blades appeared in her hand. "This is Ganondorf's last cruelty, his final ploy before the hammer-blow. You can protect her from his magic this time, you and the Master Sword. He cannot simply whisk her away. So instead, he strikes at her heart." The Shadow Sage's fist trembled, deadly rage denied release. "He does not believe she can overcome this in time. He will learn, to his sorrow, that he is mistaken."

Link took a breath to argue again, but merely exhaled and nodded. We have to believe in her. That's the only way we can help her now. Gritting his teeth, he started towards the edge of the camp, but stopped in surprise at Impa's hand on his shoulder. "That does not mean, Hero of Time," she said with an astonishingly gentle smile, "she won't be glad to see you here when she emerges. We can manage without you for a little longer." With that, she released him, stepped into the tent's shadow and sank into it, vanishing. Link sighed and sat cross-legged on the ground by the tent flap.

#What about you?# Navi asked, her presence on his scalp comforting.

#Me?# Link shook his head. #I'm not the one who lost a father today.#

#No, you're just the one trying to carry the world on his shoulders, and Zelda's grief, and half the army's morale, and...# Navi trailed off. #Give me a minute, I'm sure I'll think of something else.#

Link chuckled in spite of himself. #I'm not a martyr.#

#Could've fooled me,# she 'pathed caustically. #Link, you lost a king, a man who believed in you, and one of your closest allies in the court. Farore, he would've knighted you years ago if you'd let him.# Her energies flowed around him in her mimicry of an embrace. #You're allowed to grieve too.#

#I'll grieve later,# Link sighed. #Navi, if I let it out now, after all the people we've lost, Senza, Telma, the king...I can't. Not yet.# He gazed into the distance. The whirling sands seemed to have a black slash in the heart of them. Link shivered, a memory of Ganon forming for some reason. #I have to be strong, now more than ever. Especially for Zelda.# He chuckled. #I'll curl up into a useless ball of tears later.#

Navi paced on his head for a few moments, then nodded. #I'm going to hold you to that...hey, do you feel something?#

Link stood instantly. Zelda. He reached for the flap, but Zelda flung it aside before he could reach it and strode out. "Zel?"

"I'm fine," she said, stopping and staring out at the desert. Then she laughed a sob. "Well, not really. I'm a wreck. But I can pretend to be fine until this is over. My people need me, now more than ever." She threw her arms around him again. "I'm sorry."

"You apologize again," Link blurted in exasperation, "and I'll...I'll..." He glanced up. #Navi, help me out here.#

#Later,# Navi said, strangely cryptic.

"I keep leaning on you when you're already bearing so much of the load," she whispered. "It's not fair."

"Hey," he said, holding her tight, "you've got a whole kingdom to worry about. That load I'm bearing is just my fair share of yours." He raised her chin to look into her eyes. Somehow, he found a smile for her. "Your Hero, remember?"

Zelda nodded then, releasing him, and he let her go as well, though hefting boulders would have been easier in that moment. The princess turned back to face the desert. "He's coming. He's coming, and we have to be ready..." she peered intently at the sandstorm. "...by the gods, what is that?"

The Hero followed her gaze. That black line was still there. Oh, no. It was broader at the bottom than the top, and was starting to look jagged at the edges. Ganon's Tower floated in the air. Gods be good.

Ganondorf was ready for them.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"What now, Your Highness?" Onox asked flatly, staring at the slowly approaching citadel. Their shadows, and the Tower's, were slowly lengthening in the afternoon sun.

"We stick to the plan," the princess replied, her tone matching his. They watched from their horses, Zelda sure she seemed comically small next to the Lord General but hardly caring. "One way or the other, that Tower won't be as decisive as it may seem right now. Either we will get Link onto it, and he will deal with the evil king there, or Ganondorf will emerge to face us, and his power alone moves it."

Onox snorted. "Foolish. A waste of power."

"If only that were true," Zelda retorted wryly. She gestured at the Tower almost casually. "That's pure psychic force -- mind over matter. Resonating with his mana, not using it up." Even Onox boggled at that, head whipping around to look at her with bulging eyes. "I know. That's the might of the Triforce of Power."

"How in the name of the gods can your Hero overcome that?" Onox said, forcing himself not to gasp, but Zelda could hear the effort required in his voice.

"With this," Link said, riding up and drawing the Master Sword. "Psychic talent or sorcerous spell, if magic is infused with evil, the Blade of Evil's Bane grants me some protection from it."

The general glanced over at Link, still dubious from what Zelda could see, but nodded after almost a minute. "Very well." He looked at the Tower again. There seemed to be some kind of motion beneath it, like dark mist or oily rain. "Are you ready for this, Princess Zelda?"

"I'm actually quite calm," Zelda said evenly, hand resting on her sword hilt. "Ganondorf's efforts to twist the knife, ironically, allowed me to expend my grief openly, to accept it and let it have its due." Her grip tightened on her reins, and Picori danced in place for a moment. "The pain is still there. I imagine it always will be. However, I can set it aside to do what I must." Link sheathed the Blade and nudged Epona closer to her, then reached out and held her hand. She squeezed it gratefully. "Also," she said, a ghost of a smile haunting her face, "I have help bearing the burden."

Onox nodded again. "Very good, Your Highness. Our forces are as ready as they can be."

"Good. For now, then, I leave it in your capable hands." She turned and rode back to the heart of the camp, Link following loyally. "You still don't entirely trust him," Zelda whispered once they were out of the general's hearing.

Link shrugged. "It's just a feeling. I already told you about Gorgon, but I've never heard him judge me by Dark Link, and I'm not going to do him that discourtesy."

"For most of us, the matter of Dark Link is something new and strange," she reminded him gently. "Even Veran hasn't had the time to exploit it. Rest assured that she will."

"Oh, that's very comforting," Link drawled. Zelda smiled in spite of herself, the pain receding more than she thought possible. "Whatever noble politics would make of it, I won't judge anyone by the Shadow they cast." He stroked her cheek gently. "I know how little it can truly mean."

Zelda licked her lips and looked away. "That was more me than I care to admit, most days," she whispered. Link took a breath to respond. "We can't worry about her now," she cut in quickly. "This is about Onox. Can you put words to this feeling?"

Link shook his head. "It's not rational. The only word that comes to mind is...hunger. I think he wants something. I don't think even he knows how much he wants it." He turned to look at Onox, who was preparing the defensive line. "If it were simple treachery, he could have undermined Hyrule a dozen times over by now. If I'm right, it has to be more complicated than that."

"I agree." Zelda followed the Hero's eyes, tapping her saddle absently. "And I believe you are right, Link. I sense something about him, some menace coiled within." The Hero's eyes hardened, glittering dangerously towards the Lord General. "Nevertheless, it can wait as long as he acquits himself properly this day."

"Can we be sure he will?" Link whispered. "If Ganondorf has been holding him in reserve, waiting for the perfect moment to strike...this is unquestionably it. He could wait this long to do it, too. Believe me, I know." Epona danced in place, clearly sensing her rider's distress.

"I do not think Onox would betray one master merely to serve another," Zelda said slowly. "One thing I am sure of is that he will not betray Hyrule itself, not in his own eyes at least."

"To betray you is to betray Hyrule," Link growled savagely, turning Epona suddenly to point straight at the general.

"Remember, I said in his eyes," the Sage of Time reminded him quickly, placing a hand gently on his arm. He stilled himself, but she could feel the effort ripple through his body. Such power. And I can bring it to heel with a touch... She shook her head. Something about that thought bothered the princess. "He will not knowingly hand the battle to Ganondorf, no matter what else he might try, and for now, that is what matters." Link's throat echoed with a rumble, menacing to any other but comforting to Zelda. A moment later, though, he relented, nodding reluctantly.

Ashei and Rusl rode up to them. "Your Majesty--" Rusl began.

"Highness," Zelda snapped. Sir Rusl flinched. Easy, she thought guiltily, and forced moderation into her voice. "I haven't been crowned queen yet, and I'll not claim the title presumptuously."

"Veran certainly means to move against you when we return," Ashei said bluntly. "It wouldn't hurt for us to make the point."

"It very well might," Zelda explained more patiently than she wished, "but that is not terribly important, ultimately. I will handle this properly, no matter what others might do." She looked down. "And...I am not ready to hear that yet."

Sir Ashei closed her eyes, and Zelda could almost hear the powerful warrior cursing herself for a fool. Rusl bowed skillfully from his saddle. "We are yours to command, Princess of Destiny," he said. "Please forgive my presumption. If I may, however, that is not what we came to report to you on."

Zelda nodded. "Impa has a report on the strange storm beneath Ganon's Tower?"

Link grinned at Sir Rusl's amazement. "How -- ah. I, that is, yes." He forced his discipline to take control, expression hardening. "That 'rain' is the fall of Ganondorf's summoned monstrosities. Enough keese to blacken the sky. Lizalfos, Dinolfos and winged variants. Moblins and their odd green cousins. Mad Deku Scrubs. Stalfos and Stalchildren, and some kind of skeletal hounds that accompany them. Skulltulas and Tektites. Very few Poes, mercifully, and no Wolfos or ReDead that we've seen thus far."

"Thank the gods for that small comfort," Zelda said quietly.

"Small?" Link chuckled ruefully. "Give me three Lizalfos over one ReDead any day."

They don't remember Castle Town being inhabited by those horrors, the princess thought, and gods willing, they never will. She smiled encouragingly at the Hero, then faced the Tower again. "The defenses are ready," she said. It wasn't a question, but Rusl nodded all the same. "Then let us prepare. Staged retreats to the river, and we make our stand there..." Her eyes narrowed. "What in Nayru's name?"

Something was flying toward them from the floating Tower, something enormous. Even at their distance, its shadow was plain on the desert sands. Link grimly drew the Master Sword. "To arms, Rusl, but gently." Rusl nodded and retreated to spread the word. Zelda sent images to Onox and those immediately beneath him, and the camp sprang to life, readying its defenses.

"Zelda," Link whispered. Reluctantly, the princess nodded, and the Hero spurred Epona. The great horse launched forward, charging towards the monstrosity. Zelda peered at the creature warily, an instinct causing her to call on her magical senses: clairvoyance, Sheikah sight, aura vision and sorcerous insight. All of them screamed the same warning at her.

#Link! Love of Nayru, don't let it past the defenses!# she 'pathed in near-panic. #That's why Ganondorf's monsters are still under the shadow of the Tower -- they've mystically connected that shadow to the creature's! If it flies overhead...#

#I'll stop it, Zel,# he replied grimly. She could almost feel his grip on the Master Sword tighten, but he quickly traded it for the Hookshot. #I promise.#

#Be careful,# she 'pathed, then narrowed their connection to a thread and turned her attention to her people. "Archers up! Knights to the line! Mages at the ready -- full wards! With a will!" she commanded, a lifetime of training transforming her voice into thunder. Her people did her proud, leaping to obey and moving with the supreme competence she expected of them. #Impa.#

#We fight in Shadow,# the High Sheikah replied. #Already, as you have guessed, the evil king's forces move. We can slow them, but not stop them.#

Zelda forced her body to appear confident and serene, even as worry roiled in her. #Then as is so often true, all depends on the Hero.#

She was surprised to hear Impa send a laugh through their connection. #He made you a promise, Zelda. Think you he will break it?# Her mentor thinned the link to the merest trickle and turned back to the task of slaying monsters.

Somehow, that bolstered Zelda's confidence. She rode to just behind the main line, then turned to face her people. "I have no great speech for you," she called, "no epic call to arms. You need none! Ganondorf will hear all that needs saying from our swords, spells and souls!" She thrust her sword into the air, and the cheer half-deafened her.

The Sage of Time turned and gathered mana then, the ecstacy of magic and life flowing as one welling within her. The creature, now visibly a heavily armored dragon, was closing, though it thrashed in the air. Zelda's heart leaped into her throat when she saw Link hanging from his Hookshot by its massively barbed tail, Hover Boots glowing uselessly. He switched them out, and suddenly the monster screeched and fell, plates of black armor flying in all directions. Iron Boots! You brilliant -- I love you! she exulted, watching him fire Ice Arrows into the thing. Like Volvagia with wings, Zelda realized, and barding. The skin was indeed a fiery red underneath, but the horror seemed to lack Volvagia's intelligence, and Link appeared to be doing well. Switching to his enhanced Hover Boots again, he leapt up, running on the air, and slashed mercilessly into the center of its back.

It convulsed and shot back into the air, screaming and thrashing. Spreading its wings wide, it circled quickly in place, monsters springing from its shadow as it passed. "They've given up getting behind our lines!" Zelda shouted, and another cheer roared around her. "Wait for my signal, then show them the folly of threatening Hyrule!"

A wounded Renato appeared at her side, holding up his hands for a second at the sight of Ashei's blade. The knight quickly recognized him and nodded, letting him pass. "Zelda," he said hoarsely, eyes flickering with pain, "he's stopped it, but they're coming, and in numbers beyond belief."

"I know," Zelda said with a nod. "Heal up. I'll command Impa to pull the Sheikah back, and then it begins in earnest."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"YAH!" Link shouted, leaping away as the animalistic, winged Volvagia duplicate thrashed, fire spurting from rent scales and torn skin. Navi had named it 'Argorok,' which Link recognized; the idea for the creature had been stolen from Zant's future, but the monster itself had been constructed from Volvagia's skeleton and the Triforce's raw might. It certainly looked futuristic to Link with its alien armor. Thankfully, the current variation had fallen to the Master Sword like all the others.

Sheikah danced around him, blades flashing. Lizalfos emerged all around them, many dying by the time they'd fully emerged, but their numbers were simply too great. Stalfos emerged as well, however, far more dangerous than the reptilian beast-men, and Stalchildren accompanied them in staggering numbers. Skulltulas followed, webs whipping around and mandibles slashing the air.

Argorok's explosion put an end to its shadow once the cloud dissipated, Dark Fire falling to the ground and burning low. The corrupted mana-flames did not die out entirely, though, and more monsters emerged from the unnatural fire with each passing second. "Farore," he breathed.

"To the camp!" Impa commanded, and the Sheikah quickly vanished. Link lingered several moments, hoping his spins and slashes could do significant damage. They can't launch volleys until I'm clear, he decided reluctantly, and I can't possibly be doing enough damage to compensate for that. With a gesture, he followed the Sheikah through Shadow.

Shadow itself burned distantly, eerie disruption flickering through it. He emerged safely next to Zelda, but he could not deny how shaken he felt. "Fire!" Zelda barked.

"Fire at will!" several commanders echoed as one. Arrows, needle-blades and spells flew forth, Lizalfos and Stalchildren disintegrating by the hundreds. The Stalfos and Skulltulas were more resilient, but they, too, were falling before the onslaught. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, Link hoped for a moment.

Then the Tower wavered in the distance, plummeting to the ground and sinking. It emerged from the Dark Fire, not quite on top of them but far too close for comfort. It did not float up, the base seeming to merge with the sand. The cloud of keese over it shrouded the entire citadel. For a moment, everything went still, the battle seeming to hold its breath. Then every door and window in the Tower exploded open, and what looked like all the horrors of the Evil Realm poured out. "Keep firing!" Zelda commanded. Link didn't need to be told twice, letting arrows fly freely. Psychics kept bundles of arrows floating into quivers, and the sorcerers let loose more deadly powers, but stronger foes were surviving to reach the front barricade. Sheikah danced in and out, and Gerudos almost laughed while they tore into their foul foes.

Link moved to banish his Fairy Bow, but Zelda touched his shoulder and shook her head. Though she didn't even make mental contact, he could feel her wanting him to trust her. As if I could do otherwise, he thought, returning to arrow fire. Navi flitted out repeatedly, giving him supernatural accuracy, but there were just too many of them.

"Fall back!" Zelda shouted. "Second perimeter!"

"Second perimeter!" Onox repeated, voice booming. "You heard her! Move!" They retreated, Link holding his ground to cover those already slowed by wounds. Finally, he leaped back onto Epona, still firing as they fled. Nabooru grimaced from her own magnificent steed, apparently doing nothing but staring. Link knew better, his connection to the Sages telling him she was doing something, though even he had no idea what. Almost in unison, they spurred their horses to leap over the barricade, the last to do so. Link turned and fired into the mass again, Nabooru returning to whatever it was she was so obviously determined to do. For several minutes more, they held back the next wave of attackers, but the results were as familiar as they were inevitable.

"Third perimeter!" Zelda cried, and again they retreated. Casualties were still light and no one had died yet, but it wouldn't be long. Their backs were to the river. The only apparent mercy of their location was two tall hills on either side of their position that narrowed the battlefield. Gods, let Zelda's plan work, Link prayed. The horde of summoned soldiers teemed, more massive than ever. They paused, clearly preparing to charge hard.

In the distance, he saw Gerudos trotting up to the rear of Ganondorf's sorcerous army. Aveil sat tall and imposing on a dark gray charger. She raised her right scimitar. Here it comes. Gods, it's too bad. I always kind of liked her. What does she see in that sick tyrant, anyway? Aveil slashed down, and the almost endless force surged forward.

"NOW!" Zelda boomed, her voice echoing with magical force.

In an instant, the army of evil was under assault from every direction. Marth charged from behind the hills, half the Altean army coming down with him. Gorons exploded from those same hills as well as the ground around the monsters, rolling in a crushing, implacable wave led by Brother Darunia. Ruto herself emerged next to Zelda, letting loose a warbling, musical cry that reminded Link of their battle in the Hall of Illusion, and Zoras turned the river into an exploding fountain, flashes of power bursting from their arm fins. Link smiled with fond memories of a guitar and a woman very much like the Zora princess.

Ruto laughed then, leaping onto Epona behind him and hugging him joyfully from behind. "Banish the bow, I have something for you!" Zelda blinked in amazement, still firing balls of lightning from her blade, but nodded. Link sent the bow back into fairy space, and the moment his hands were free, Ruto slapped an arc of white and gold into his hand, a bright blue gem set in the center and one angle looking like a wing. The energy of Farore herself seemed to flow within it. "Happy birthday!" the Zora princess shouted, leaping off the horse again and moving forward carefully. Her fins flashed with magical force, waves of energy tearing through the enemy ranks. It's a boomerang, Link realized. I think.

"Hi! I'm the Fairy of Winds!" the boomerang said, and Link nearly dropped it. "Saria and Ruto worked on this gift for you, and when I sensed their intent, I knew Farore would wish me to give you the blessing of my magic. With this instrument, the power of gales will be at your command!"

"Wow," was all Link could say. Looking around and hefting the weapon experimentally, he saw that the keese were threatening to break through the sorcery and arrow flights through sheer numbers. Power of the gale, huh? Let's see. With a flicker of concentration, he sent Navi flying among the keese. He almost got dizzy, as did Navi, when she harmonized with no less than five of the obnoxious creatures.

#It's the Wind Fairy,# Navi explained woozily. #Her power is enhancing my own!#

Is that so? Link grinned menacingly, then threw the Gale Boomerang with all his strength. A whirlwind whipped around the fantastic weapon, sending countless keese crashing into each other. They're too thick in the sky for them to deal with a weapon like this, he thought, watching in awe as the boomerang returned to his hand. Amazing! A part of him was a boy again, marveling at the Zora wonder of his childhood. He'd returned the original to the aquatic people long ago, but the Gale Boomerang fit his adult's hand, and it was his. He let the weapon fly, and again it crushed keese wholesale. Best of all, he could call back his shield to his right arm, and he rode closer to the main line.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite lazy Hero," Marth called, Falchion swirling with vast mana. The king of Altea leaped, cleaving a Stalfos in half with one blow.

"Hey, Your Majesty," Link replied lightly, throwing the boomerang as quickly and frequently as he could. "Crown's not too tight, is it?" The rest of him slowed, however, Falchion's swirling circle of light and magic evoking a similar image around the Master Sword. That's not a memory. It can't be. I'm just thinking of the Helix Sword. Yet it felt like one, a feeling so familiar it might as well have been a memory...

"Hah!" Marth leaped a dozen feet up, slashing upward and impaling a flying Lizalfos in mid-air. Navi dubbed the creature an Aeralfos, and Link brought a second down with the Hookshot, catching its shield. He dismounted, drew his sword and slashed it apart quickly. "Is this the great threat you spoke of? Fools by the thousand are still fools!"

"This?" Link laughed mirthlessly. "This is Ganondorf's warm-up band. Don't worry, the real thing's on its way." Frowning then, he looked at the Master Sword oddly. Focusing his energies, remembering what Zelda had taught him about mana and psychic harmony, he concentrated on the blade's Power to Repel Evil. "Yah!" he cried, swinging it as if trying to cut through an Armos. A burst of spiraling power shot from the legendary blade, which glowed golden for a second, and threw Lizalfos back where it struck. "Gods be good."

"When did you learn that trick?" Marth said, gaping even as he cut down another Dinolfos.

Link smiled, too busy to rub the back of his neck. "Um, just now?" He fired several more blasts into the ranks of monsters, then switched back to the Gale Boomerang as the keese cloud started reforming. "Actually, I think I learned it a thousand years from now." Marth glanced sideways at him, though his swordsmanship didn't suffer. "Hero of Time, I guess," Link explained sheepishly.

The monsters slowed, stopped entirely, then fell back. The allied forces cheered. "Aw, leaving so soon?" Ruto called mockingly, leaning over and blowing a kiss. "We were just starting to enjoy ourselves!" The Zoras and Gerudos laughed, though the others chuckled nervously at most.

Link merely shook his head and grinned. "Ruto," he said with fond exasperation. Then a harsh, searing wind rolled across the battlefield, and a black dot flew towards them. What looked like a red banner to the ignorant flowed behind it. The Hero's heart stopped for an instant. He didn't have to guess what they saw. A wave of power flew at them, and the wards shuddered. Immediately, he drew the Master Sword and ran past the defense field, holding the Blade of Evil's Bane high. A second wave shattered against the Power to Repel Evil.

Ganondorf's laughter echoed around them. "Clever, Hero." He held his hands high, and almost limitless power surged around them. "Not clever enough, alas." He brought his hands down, and the earth screamed in protest. The two hills providing the alliance cover shattered, and he threw the mass of rubble aside with twin casual gestures. Kotake raced to his left, cackling with hateful glee, and a Gerudo rode Phantom Ganon's armored, flying steed to his right. The monsters' offensive began to spread, sprawling across the riverbank in an attempt to flank the alliance, but the Gorons, Zoras, and flying mages were able to keep up easily. Whether they can hold off the attack is another story, Link thought furiously, but Ganondorf's the heart of it all. Onigami demanded to be used; Link ignored it.

Again, the Hero thrust the Master Sword into the air. "It's time, Ganondorf! Face me!"

"Oh, I will," Ganondorf hissed, smiling with terrible satisfaction, "but first, I mean to claim something of yours." Link's heart froze with terror. Zelda! Faster than he thought possible, he had the Fairy Bow in his hand, and a Light Arrow flew out. Ganondorf pulled his cape around, grunting slightly at the impact, then threw his arms out and laughed. That was unpleasantly familiar, he thought darkly. "Is that your best, Hero of Time? For if it is, I fear your precious princess is--"

"Right here!" Zelda roared, Light Arrows of her own flying out at the trio. The Gerudo rode downward, snarling as she charged the line. Marth readied himself to meet her. Kotake held up her sister's broom and transformed into Twinrova, flying at the Sage of Time. Zelda slowed for a moment, then glared at the evil sorceress. Her Light Boots flared, and she rocketed toward her opponent, lightning around each hand.

While Ganondorf stared in surprise at Zelda, Link summoned the Iron Boots to his feet and called the Hookshot to his hand. He fired, and the distracted King of Evil fell to earth with an undignified yelp and grunt that satisfied the Hero to no end. "Let's end this," Link snarled, baring his teeth and drawing the Master Sword. A flicker of thought sent a bright yellow Navi hovering over Link's foe.

Ganondorf regarded the young Hylian for a moment. "Why not?" he replied, holding out one hand. The largest sword Link had ever seen appeared in the evil king's hand, its huge, arcing head gleaming in the falling sun's light. "You aren't the one I want to destroy." The villain held the blade in both hands, sliding into a casual ready stance. "You, I simply want to kill."

"The feeling," Link growled, "is mutual."

Their eyes locked. Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed in the distance. With a simultaneous scream, Hero and King charged at each other.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Fool of a princess! I am not merely Kotake -- you face Twinrova now!" The witch formed a blade of ice and flew for Zelda's heart.

Indeed, Zelda thought caustically, forming a triangular shield of golden light. Twinrova bounced off and flew around, laughing and circling like a falcon. Bit off a little more than we can chew, oh mighty Princess of Destiny? She threw another lightning ball at the sorceress, who batted it away with her fire wand. Twinrova countered with a jet of flame, which Zelda diverted with a waterspout from one finger. The witch bared her teeth angrily and flew at her again, forming a second scimitar out of flame and spinning like a demented elemental Link.

Zelda dove, avoiding the whirling doom and firing pure Light at Twinrova from below. The Gerudo righted herself and countered with a beam of Shadow from her eyes. As they had a year ago, their polar forces met, but the shock shot up Zelda's arm painfully. Twinrova is far more powerful than Kotake alone. I can't fight her like this. Come on, Miss Triforce of Wisdom, use your head! The princess retreated, angling back up. Twinrova stalked her with an infuriatingly casual air. "You can't win, little girl," Twinrova laughed, her voice full and rich with life in direct contrast to Kotake's heartless timbre. "Yield, and Ganondorf might let you live -- as a chambermaid." Again she laughed, the sorceress' own humor endlessly amusing to her.

"What, the Great King of Evil can't dress himself?" Zelda replied bitingly, throwing a crackling ball of electricity behind her. Carefully, she arced it down, around and back up behind her foe.

Twinrova obliterated the attack with a dismissive wave of her fire scepter. Zelda gritted her teeth furiously, her Light energy slowly failing against the unbelievably powerful Shadow attack. "Oh, hardly. Ganondorf's chosen bride will most likely need time to...acclimate to her new station."

"You mean recover from being broken!" Zelda snarled, the image of Nabooru in chains granting her renewed strength. Mana flowed through her, and she halted Twinrova's advance. "Vile monster, twisting the hearts and souls of others like toys!"

"Why not? To such as we, lesser beings are as toys. We have the power to alter reality itself, little girl." Twinrova focused, and Zelda felt her Light Force slowly giving way to Shadow once more. "Fools like you who defend the weak are in opposition to natural law. You and your cute little Hero will fall. It is inevitable."

Fighting to hold her ground, Zelda circled and tried to touch Shadow herself. Dividing her attention was too dangerous, though -- she lost more ground than she could afford in that brief attempt, and threw her focus back into wielding Light. "Nabooru will die before she'll be Ganondorf's slave!"

"Nabooru?" Twinrova asked mockingly. "That ingrate? Who ever said anything about Nabooru?"

Zelda flowed backwards, leading Twinrova away from the main battle. At least I can keep her away from Link, she thought with frustration. The idea of needing him to rescue her again was almost unbearable, especially now that he was fighting Ganondorf himself. If being defeated by Twinrova is the price I must pay to help Link, though, so be it. Frowning at Twinrova's comment, her mind grappled with the response and came up empty. "Who else? He can't mean to claim a Sheikah."

Twinrova's joviality vanished, and she bared her teeth. "A stinking Sheikah?! You'll be the last of their kind, sow -- a broken, whimpering thing spending the rest of your life begging for mercy!"

"Unlikely," Zelda drawled, using Twinrova's distraction to regain some ground. The Gerudo sorceress put an end to that quickly, however. "I'll die before I yield to you, and so will every woman I know."

"Truly?" Twinrova asked, Kotake's cunning seeping into her voice. "Would not a genuinely brave princess surrender herself that her people might be spared?"

"I thought I was going to be a chamberma--" Zelda's thoughts crashed into one another, piling into a mental wreck. "You cannot be serious! She'd never survive!" The Sage's mind raced out. #Ruto! Stay away from Ganondorf!#

#You can't be serious!# Ruto shot back. #Have you seen that duel? Link needs our help!#

#Someone else will help him,# Zelda retorted hotly, her ferocity almost hiding her worry. #Ganondorf has chosen a queen, and your refusal is apparently not acceptable.#

#What -- my -- gaaah!# The Zora princess recoiled mentally. #That's disgusting! Besides, I'm already married!#

Zelda descended again, fighting grimly against Twinrova's advance. #I'm sure the King of Evil can deal with such a 'trivial' problem.# She let her fear for her friend ripple across their communion. #Please, Ruto! I wouldn't wish that on Veran, let alone you!#

#What about Link?# Ruto 'pathed quietly, firing more blasts into the enemy's monstrous ranks. #This fight's spreading all across the river. There aren't many left who can help him. Marth, maybe, but he's engaged with the Gerudo on that accursed flying horse.#

#For now, we must believe in him,# Zelda replied, hating the decision. Such decisions are my duty, though. #He defeated Ganondorf once before, with far less experience. He can do it again.#

Ruto nodded with fierce reluctance. #For now, then. If he gets in over his head, though, and you're still dancing with that sow...I don't abandon my friends.# The Zora swallowed in spite of herself. #Even in the face of, of that.#

As frustrated as Zelda was, she couldn't help tears of pride forming. What did I do to deserve friends like her? she wondered briefly. Her attention returned to Twinrova, scant seconds having passed in the physical world. I won't let them down! From depths the Princess of Destiny hadn't thought she had, Zelda found the strength to fight Twinrova back to a standstill. "What in Farore's name does a Gerudo want with a Zora bride?"

The Gerudo shrugged. "He finds her courage and ferocity invigorating, and the cool, fluid nature of their kind attractive. It was Hyrule's winds he coveted first, you see," she explained, fire and ice forming at her sides, "cool breezes that bring life rather than death. She reminds him of those winds. A foolish thing, perhaps, but no one ever accused the heart of being wise." Once more, Twinrova laughed, but it came out a cackle, Kotake's sadism sneaking past the mighty facade. "Why would the Hero love you, otherwise?"

Link, Zelda thought, inspiration striking suddenly. What would he do? Something clever, something unexpected. She dodged the matching streams of flame and cold. Think, Zelda, think! What would work against fire and ice alike? Zelda glanced around, eyes skipping across the river quickly lest her foe catch her realization. Of course! The princess dove sharply, giving up the clash of powers and evading the Shadow blast. Twinrova screamed triumphantly and shot after her. That's it...a little more...a little more... Zelda dodged, weaving through the air to evade bursts of flame and frost. Now! Spinning, her azure garb whirling around her, she thrust her boots down to stop with a suddenness that made her very bones protest. Twinrova shot past her, and Zelda hit the sorceress with all her mental might. Before the Gerudo knew what was happening, she was immersed in the river, half boiling, half trapped in ice of her own making.

"He loves me for my mind," she quipped, hands on her hips. Twinrova thrashed in desperate confusion, powers flailing wildly. Zelda quietly helped her expend her mana, subtly manipulating the flows of magical energy around the sorceress. While Twinrova fought free, the princess gathered Light and Shadow, each in one hand.

Finally, both fire and ice gave way to Dark Fire, and the evil mage exploded from the water. The elemental affinities returned around her, the plumes jetting from her head once more and the wands lighting up with their powers. "A clever trick," Twinrova rasped, "but no more."

"Oh, but it was much more," Zelda replied, holding up her hands casually. Twinrova recoiled. "It gave me time to think, to understand you. For all your matching heat and cold, you have no balance. Dark Fire is nothing more than a corruption of that 'natural law' you value so highly," she mocked furiously, advancing while the sorceress retreated in horror. "You wield only Shadow, never accepting the importance of Light!"

"That's what your father thought too," Twinrova hissed.

Zelda froze. "What about my father?" she asked with a shaken whisper.

"Oh, a Gerudo warrior slew him, to be sure," the sorceress laughed through a cough, "but how do you think he became a prisoner in the first place?" A ball of Dark Fire formed in her hands.

Zelda screamed and unleashed Light and Shadow alike. Twinrova howled and responded with the poison flame.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"SEI-YAH!" Link roared, spinning in a burning arc. Ganondorf parried, his massive blade as effective a barrier as the Hero's own shield. The evil king counterattacked, whirling the greatsword in his hands into a scything death trap, but Link blocked with his invincible shield. Both jumped back then, panting. Hero and monarch alike probed wounds, grimacing. Neither was unscathed -- far from it -- but Link wasn't ready to drop any time soon, and if the arrogant look on his face was any indication, neither was Ganondorf. "I won't let you win," Link said, voice heavy with weariness. Again, the Fierce Deity pulsed in his fairy space. Again, Link refused to consider the entity.

"You've got guts, kid. I like your attitude!" Link grimaced as Ganondorf laughed. "Fool boy. I have power beyond even your imagining, and I know what you have faced."

Link pointed the Master Sword straight at his foe's empty heart. "Unlikely."

"Oh, so? HAH!"Ganondorf held up a hand, and a flash of light summoned a chain to it, a chain that led to a glowing door in the air. The king yanked on it, and the manacled Arbiter stumbled through to the evil king's side. The Hero shuddered in horror. "Time is mine, kid! You can't save it, and the Sage can't predict it! The Arbiter thought he could manipulate me, but as you can see, I've outmaneuvered you all!"

"You...monster..." Link slid back. Navi was fighting down panic, but she couldn't hide her feelings from her partner.

"Monster?" The Arbiter asked coldly. "Fool is closer to the truth." Ganondorf whirled around to gape, goggle-eyed, at his captive. "Even the gods themselves wield Time but lightly and carefully. The rules Link was forced to adhere to were intended to protect the streams of time. You have treated that most sacred of elements like another tool, a plaything!" The Arbiter shrugged, and the enchanted manacles rusted away to dust in an instant. Ganondorf backpedaled warily then, bringing his sword to bear. "The gods have given you every chance imaginable to see your folly, but one cannot expect sight from a man who chooses to be blind." The cloaked figure began to grow then, slowly increasing in size. "By taking action against me, you have freed my heart -- and allowed me to wield my abilities against you."

"You will not defy me!" Ganondorf thrust his fist into the air, Triforce symbol glowing upon it. "I am Ganondorf Dragmire, Lord of Power and King of Evil! You cannot match my might!"

"True enough," the Arbiter said, voice showing emotion at last -- sadness -- "but you were meant to be so much more, Forger of Strength." Ganondorf scowled furiously, but the Arbiter, already twice Ganondorf's size, ignored him, turning to Link then. Enough light penetrated the hood to hint at a smile beneath it. "This task is yours, Juror of Courage, but know that all your sacrifices will not be in vain. Whatever else transpires this day, the Hero of Time's legend shall ever be a beacon to those who would resist evil." The cloak flew wide then, and the hood seemed to flatten, its tip flowing down like a hooked beak. Then the figure erupted into a storm of feathers, vanishing entirely from the mortal realm save for the fluttering pinions it left behind.

Link gasped. "K-Kaepora?" he whispered, the feathery rain swirling around him almost like an embrace. Navi boggled silently, for once at a loss for words. Somewhere in the distance, he thought he heard an echoing hoot. He knew he saw a shaft of Light explode down on the other end of the desert -- the Arbiter's Grounds! -- and the Light Medallion he carried in fairy space filled him with new strength even as its counterpart vanished. Fights slowed and even stopped around them, everyone from kings to monsters drawn to the overwhelming presence.

#Now, Hero! Hoot hoot!# Kaepora's comforting presence seemed to flow around the Hero, infusing him with a power at once alien and familiar. #Your talents of past and future alike are yours -- the price this Demon Thief now pays for his folly! Use them, and restore peace and justice to the land!#

Power and knowledge filled him in a rush, the streams of time becoming whitewater rapids. He fought Agahnim, fought Vaati, trained with a golden wolf that became a noble knight with the look of a Stalfos, became four heroes, became a wolf himself, faced the terrible Mandrag -- Ganon? -- after Vaati unwittingly freed him, battled the mad Zant with a blade bathed in Light, caught wind in a jar, caused earthquakes with a sword-thrust into the ground, adopted an acerbic hat and a menacing imp -- each becoming the dearest of friends -- and always, ever the owner of his heart, ever a part of his soul, was his Zelda. From one end of time to the other, they were always together.

Link felt invincible. He thrust his shield at the stricken Ganondorf, knocking him off-balance, then leaped over him and slashed at his head. The evil king howled in pain and rage and spun a deadly slash at the Hero, but he was suddenly naught but a pair of footprints in the sand, invisible. Link dodged, releasing the magic to trade it for a burst of wind that knocked the Gerudo away. He leaped, blasting with fire, then ice, aim perfected by his connection with Navi. Grinning at the knowledge of a trick that had eluded him, he nocked an arrow and focused on another weapon in his arsenal. Ganondorf righted himself just in time to see a glowing crimson arrowhead in his face, which proceeded to explode on impact. An adaptation occurred to the Hero, and he merged another item with the arrowhead. A Deku Nut Arrow flashed out, blinding the Gerudo with a shot between his eyes.

"ENOUGH!" the King of Evil roared, flying into the air again. "HAH!" He threw a ball of power at the Hero, who grinned and parried it with the Master Sword. The familiar, deadly game of badminton played out once more, Link managing to stun the villain after several volleys. Immediately, he nocked a Light Arrow and fired, driving Ganondorf to earth. He leaped and slashed, his spin a fantastic, devastating thing. Finally, Ganondorf screamed in frustrated fury and launched into the air once more. He called the greatsword into his hand and braced himself to swoop down. "Oh no, Hero, not again. I will not face you the same way twice! This duel will end with one simple truth -- I can fly, and you cannot!"

Link merely smiled at that, concentrating. Great wings of Light sprang from his back, his Hover Boots appearing and glowing in golden harmony with Kaepora's gift. "'Oh, so?'" he said, mimicking Ganondorf's voice as much as he was able. With a flap of the beautiful wings, he soared into the air and pointed the Master Sword at Ganondorf. "Yield or die," he said simply.

He and Ganondorf literally flew at each other, swords striking with bone-jarring force. They bounced back, thrown away from each other by their own impact. Ganondorf laughed. "It won't be that easy, kid!" Each braced to fly at the other again, but stopped when Kotake fell between them, landing face-first in the sand.

Zelda hovered above them, arms folded. Link's heart soared even higher than the Hero himself. "Yes it will," she said menacingly, conjuring her Light Bow. "You aren't going to touch my Hero again."

"You had your chance, woman," Ganondorf growled. "This duel is between me and the boy you hide behind. Interfere, and it will go poorly for you." He snapped his fingers, and a squadron of Aeralfos soared towards them.

Kotake turned over, reaching up weakly. "Ganondorf..." she pleaded.

"On the other hand, I am feeling merciful after that," the mighty sorcerer chuckled darkly, gesturing vaguely at the witch.

The Gerudo King and Princess of Destiny both ignored Kotake after that, but Link glanced down warily. In spite of all she'd done, he couldn't help feel a touch of sympathy."I don't hide behind anyone," Zelda said coldly. "It is simply that a monarch's vision must go beyond herself."

"Hylian excuses!" Ganondorf barked. "Hylian cowardice! I'll teach you grasslanders honor if I have to ram it down your throats!"

"Gerudo honor is not the only honor," she hissed. "You have style and presence, Ganondorf, but in the end you're just another bigot."

Ganondorf smiled then, turning his gaze back to Link. "Oh, so? ONOX!"

From below, the general gazed up. "What do you want, Great King of Evil?" Link's eyes flashed from Ganondorf to Onox in a near-panic. Zelda watched them warily. Gods, no!

"Deal with the princess. Oh, and open up that accursed left flank. Darunia annoys me." Ganondorf floated around to flank Link himself, the Hero turning to face the villain.

"You didn't really think I'd serve you, did you, Gerudo?" the Lord General scoffed. "You take such pride in using people, but in the end, I -- and Daphnes, of course," he added as an afterthought, "understood you long before we met." Link exhaled in relief, body slumping in midair. Zelda didn't quite relax.

"Did you, now?" Ganondorf's smile turned colder than Kotake's ice. "You think you can wield my Dark Fire against me?" The evil king gestured. Link soared at him, but Ganondorf dodged easily, evading the Light Arrows fired by Zelda as well.

Onox chuckled, crushing an Iron Knuckle beneath his massive flail. "You think I didn't prepare for that? A powerful sorcerer has warded--" Hylian symbols flared and shattered around the general, and he screamed.

"Wards enough to resist me, and the Triforce of Power?!" Ganondorf laughed as Onox's body mutated, stretched, and turned into a massive dragon similar to Argorok, dark gray with a huge crimson gem imbedded in his forehead. "I think not."

"...ganondorf..." Kotake rasped.

"Oh for Din's sake, will you die already," the evil king muttered in annoyance. "Onox! Heed me, and bring me Ruto!" The terrible dragon roared and flew to obey.

"No--" Link turned to fly after the thing, but Zelda was ahead of him, firing Light Arrows at the dragon. Farore, what a mess! How are we supposed to fight Onox, protect Ruto and deal with Ganondorf, while facing his entire army?

"...wh-what?..." Kotake breathed, eyes wide.

The Gerudo King glanced down, truly noticing Kotake at last. "After my childhood 'training,' did you expect anything less? 'Love is a lie. To care is to be weak.' You are not a beloved parent or a treasured mentor, fool -- you are a Gerudo warrior, nothing more than another tool, and a failure of one at that! That grassland king died with more honor than you show here! Either fight or cross over already, sow!" Link was so stunned he didn't attack in that moment.

"...you...you...AS YOU WISH!" Kotake screamed, digging her nails into her chest. She split herself open, Dark Fire exploding from her body. She screamed louder with each passing second, and her body convulsed. For a moment, she seemed to think better of her sacrifice, trying to push her torso back together, but the burst of power had consumed too much of her by then, and she went limp.

The Fire enveloped Ganondorf, who flailed wildly. Link slid back warily. "No! NO! I am the master! He is the puppet! YOU WILL NOT DO THIS THING, KOTAKE! I WILL NOT ALLAARRR!" Ganondorf disappeared in a massive field of Dark Fire.

So much for him, Link thought, some part of him feeling sorry for the evil king. A death I wouldn't wish on anyone. He shot down to the ground then, seeing Zelda and Ruto dancing around the maddened Onox-Dragon. "Any ideas, Zel?" he called out.

"The gem!" Zelda replied, firing another arrow. Onox deflected it with one mighty claw. "It's the heart of the curse!"

Of course. Like Zant's shadow-shard curse. Link shook his head quickly, banishing the future 'memory,' and soared down. Onox caught him hard with a massive swipe, much faster than the Hero had expected, and he landed hard. Zelda and Ruto both gasped in horror, then covered for him with streams of their respective blasts. Again Link flew up, taking advantage of the distraction, this time sending Navi to lock onto the gem. She did, turning green, and he dove at the shimmering stone with a fierce cry.

It shattered before the Blade's Power, and Onox collapsed into himself, becoming Hylian once more. His armor was rent and he fell to the ground, limp, but he was breathing and more or less intact. Link fell to his knees, exhaling. "It's over," he gasped wearily.

"Over?" A booming voice laughed, deep enough to make Ganondorf sound like Lady Mila. Cold, sick fear threaded through Link's blood, and he stood to turn. Zelda clutched his arm desperately, and Ruto stumbled back in horror. Onigami roared with frustration, demanding release. This time, Link seriously considered it.

Ganon rose from Kotake's Dark Fire. More titanic and monstrous than ever, he looked like the creature Link had fought so many years ago, save for three differences. His skin was blue instead of green, he was half again the size of the one from the other time stream, and he wielded a trident that radiated unending power. Stomach dropping away, Link recognized it from both the past and the future. "Hardly, boy. You face not a king of evil, but evil's GOD!" He laughed, raising his trident to the sky. Lightning blasted the ground around him. "Free! After over a thousand years of scheming and waiting, free at last!"

Oboy.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

It was her every nightmare reborn. The pig-like titan strode towards the princess, towards her Hero, trident gleaming almost blood-like in the last rays of the setting sun. His smile was an abomination, a vicious slash across his great, terrible snout, showing a complete lack of concern as he stomped forward. Link became a blur, downing a Blue Potion, then readied himself with a courage Zelda envied. She strode to his side, hoping the skirting hid the shake in her legs. I can't let him get too far away, the princess thought with determination. I won't let him face that thing alone again.

"So, little Hero," Ganon laughed, "are you ready to die?"

"I've been ready since the moment I entered the Great Deku Tree," Link replied calmly. "How about you?"

The giant beast leaned down, eyes at once huge and beady glittering with inhuman amusement. "Fool boy. I wield the Triforce of Power. You think you faced me before? Bah! I am he who bound Nayru! Only Din and Farore combined could overwhelm me, and even they could only imprison me!" He stood as upright as his twisted body allowed, then, thrusting the trident high. "Last time, I was but a shadow of my true self! Now, I am all I have ever been and more! Now, you face Mandrag Ganon!" He laughed, and lightning rained down on them.

Zelda gasped and threw up force barriers to the best of her power, but Link actually smiled. He shifted his right arm, and the Hylian Shield flickered away, replaced by the Mirror Shield. A lightning bolt struck it, angled perfectly to smash the boar-man in the face. "GAAAH! Accursed spawn of Farore!" Ganon spun his Trident of Power, and balls of flame shot out in every direction.

Link immediately charged in, leaping between the fire bursts and slashing with the Master Sword. Zelda heeled him closely, firing Light Arrows as quickly as she formed them. "Watch out for the keese!" Link called.

"Keese? What keese?" Zelda asked, ducking beneath a maddened swirl of the trident. The fires turned into keese made entirely of flame and shot at the pair. "Oh, for -- Nayru's Love!" she cried, the familiar field protecting her as the impacts threw her back and forth. Link dodged them as if he knew how they would move, but froze for an instant when he saw Zelda being battered.

"HAH!" Ganon roared, hammering the Hero and pinning him to the ground between two tines. "Too easy!" Lightning swirled above them once more.

"LINK!" Navi wailed from above Ganon's head.

NO! Zelda poured all her power into the arrow she summoned, wove Light and Shadow together, bound them with Time, and loosed it. She struck him in the crook of his elbow, and he jerked back with a pained howl of frustration. The Sage of Time smiled coldly when the lightning bolt he'd summoned struck the trident shaft, shocking him further but leaving Link untouched. "I told you already -- don't touch my Hero!" she shouted.

Zelda backed away then, eyes wide at the hateful stare Ganon threw her. It makes Ganondorf look like Saria, she thought, swallowing. "You," he growled. "You are the key to Nayru." He stomped towards the princess, who fired arrows in a constant stream. He parried every bolt with the trident, which glittered with golden triangles. Triforce of Power. Oh, that's not good. The ground shook as Ganon closed. "I will tear you open as Kotake did herself, and draw my beautiful azure goddess from your bones." He stabbed at Zelda, the princess barely evading the thrust. "Perhaps, if she pleads suitably, I might even forgive her."

Suddenly, Ganon reared and screamed in agony, the Master Sword rending his back. Zelda laughed then. "You forgot Link? You forgot the Hero? And we're supposed to be afraid of you?" The giant thrashed and convulsed, Link leaping impossibly to spin and slash at the monster's head. Leaving a mass of gouges on top of Ganon's scalp, Link jumped away, kicking the evil anti-god in the forehead and diving to Zelda's side.

Her Hero stood before her protectively, shield up, while Ganon staggered back and reeled. For once, I'm not complaining, Zelda decided, forcing herself not to shudder. Link glanced back. "How's everyone else doing?" The Hero asked.

Zelda frowned, concentrating. "Not good. The monsters are uncoordinated, but there's a lot more of them now, and we don't have a general." Her frown faded as she sensed Ganondorf's Gerudo moving. "The Gerudos' loyalty doesn't seem to extend to Mandrag, though. They're headed towards us, and right now their general doesn't feel like our enemy."

"Good," Link said, nodding wearily. "Aveil's not that bad, really. Just devoted to her accursed king." He glared up grimly at Ganon. "Go lead the army. I'll deal with pork chop here."

"Right," Zelda drawled, dismissing her Light Bow and forming fields of Light and Shadow around her hands. "I love you for that, Link, but there's no way I'm leaving you to fight that thing alone."

Her Hero grimaced. "So send Impa, Ruto and Darunia," he shot back. "Marth, if you can spare him."

Din burn the man, he's right -- wait! Zelda stood bolt upright. "Marth! That's it!" She laughed in spite of Ganon pounding towards them, Dark Fire and raw power flaring around him. "Link, we've got the greatest general alive on our side!"

The Hero sighed and nodded. "Can you reach him?"

Zelda shot her best 'oh, please' look at him, and he grinned sheepishly. The princess concentrated, and psychically found Marth grimly doing battle with a Moblin. With a thought, Zelda yanked the monster's spear from its grip, and Falchion cleaved it from snout to belt. #Marth, we need you to take command of the alliance,# she 'pathed.

#What about you?# Marth asked, slicing down two Lizalfos on his way to a Stalfos threatening another Altean.

#One, you're a better general than I am. Two, I'm going to be busy.# She sent an image of Ganon to him. #I'll let Darunia, Ruto, Nabooru and my commanders know.# Zelda rolled away from another slash, letting the balls of flame knock her back while Nayru's Love protected her. #I'll assign a psychic to you as well, if you wish.#

#Psychic communications...# Marth smiled like one of Ruto's sharks, crushing the Stalfos with a final blow that shattered its bones to powder. #...yes, I believe I would.#

Almost absently, Zelda cast mental packets of information to the relevant commanders, then turned her full attention to Ganon. Already, she could sense her forces rallying, the Altean king preparing to drive through the chaotic enemy's ranks in several thin spots along the river. The boar-god glanced back and forth along the battle lines and laughed. "How amusing! You think military tactics can save you?"

Link spun the Master Sword in his hand, circling their foe with a concentration that seemed almost able to pierce the beast with pure will alone. "Why not? You think raw power can save you, no matter how many times we prove you wrong."

"Why you...you..." Ganon snorted, roared and charged, trident spinning into a blur. Link stood his ground, sword back and ready. Just when Zelda thought he couldn't escape, he leaped to the side, rolled, and spun up Ganon's back, slashing up his spine almost to the monster's neck. Ganon stumbled and squealed, throwing his head back to scream to the heavens. Zelda didn't waste an instant, firing Light Arrows into Mandrag's body and head.

"ENOUGH!" Ganon hammered the base of his trident into the ground, which roiled and shook like the sea in a storm. Zelda took to the air, racing back, but Link stumbled and rolled away, coming back towards her.

#Fly, Link!# she 'pathed desperately, firing a ball of lightning into their foe's eyes. Ganon swept it aside, but Link obeyed immediately, exquisite wings forming to soar to her side before the villain could attack him.

#Oh, yeah, thanks,# he replied sheepishly, shield hovering near her protectively. #Still not used to that.#

Zelda nodded, then held out her slender sword, pointing it at Ganon. "You cannot defeat us both, vile one," she intoned, Hyrule's royalty pronouncing sentence. "Return to your eternal prison, or face true judgement."

Lightning flashed on the horizon. In the distance, the skies wept for the dead, rain mourning the fallen heroes. Ganon laughed more uproariously than ever. "I'm done playing with you two," he said through the snorts of amusement. "Have you no idea what you face?!" He held up his trident and shouted a wordless command. Debased mana flared, Dark Fire flickering where the energies were corrupted. More of Ganon's legions appeared wholesale around the heroes, particularly the aerial forces -- Aeralfos, 'anti-fairy' flying skulls, keese, and black, twisted butterfly-like things with scythes for arms and a single, unblinking eye each.

"Mothulas," Link sighed, answering Zelda's unspoken question about the unfamiliar beasts. He perked up suddenly, eyes dancing with a clever light. "Do you trust me?"

"Are you kidding?" she replied with a smile. He reached out his hand, and Zelda took it. Link summoned the Iron Boots, and they hit the ground with a jarring thump. The Hero called forth the Ocarina, Zelda looking at it with some surprise. We're not leaving, are we? she wondered, but quickly recognized the music filling the air, and smiled.

The Song of Storms.

The princess laughed and added her own power to the wind and rain, whipping it into a whirling vortex. The Hero pulled out his magnificent new weapon, letting the Gale Boomerang crash through keese as he had before. Ganon howled in renewed fury and sent the ground forces -- mostly Bulblins and squat, surprisingly small Moblins -- into them. Zelda released her wind magic and flew back up, Link beating his wings to rejoin her. Once the wind died down and the rain subsided, she threw lightning and Link cast his basic Din's Fire explosion, catching enemies both above and below.

One problem immediately presented itself when an Aeralfos crashed into Zelda, bearing her to the ground. Uh-oh. The winged lizard-men had been strong enough to navigate the storm and survive the blasts. Link cried out wordlessly and stooped down at her attacker, tearing it off her and crushing it beneath sword and shield, but more were flying at them. "There's too many!" Link shouted, slashing and leaping more expertly than ever. Zelda flew to him, allowing them to fight back to back, but they were surrounded both on the ground and in the air.

"Indeed!" Ganon laughed triumphantly. "Beg for mercy, Zelda, and I might let your Hero die quickly instead of having my warriors slowly tear him limb from li -- EYYAH!" The terrible beast screamed, falling over. Impa stood on his back, nodachi black with Mandrag's bile-like blood. The gash was already sealing, but the High Sheikah did not relent.

Darunia rolled past them with thunderous speed and power, tearing a hole in the Moblin forces. Ruto charged in, a squad of Zora elite by her side, and they slashed through the hordes with acrobatic grace. A small knot of Gerudos rode by, led by Nabooru but bearing the banners of both the alliance and Ganondorf's forces, and fired arrows into aerial forces and surface units alike. "You two started the party without us!" the Spirit Sage called jovially, gesturing with a sweep of her hand. A Moblin shuddered, Dark Fire spurting out of the creature, and turned into a Bullbo. "Have you no shame?"

"None whatsoever," Link laughed, slashing his way towards Ganon. Zelda shuddered with relief and accompanied him, her sword glowing with Light Force that made it twice its length. The Hero turned briefly, calling forth an unfamiliar cane, and generated strange blocks of raw energy behind them to slow their enemies. Impa stabbed at their bestial foe with workmanlike skill. For a moment, the Sage of Time thought they'd won.

With an explosion that sent them all flying, Ganon surged to his feet and punched outward. Pure power threw them around like rag dolls. Impa made herself go limp in the air, spinning helplessly. With a gasp, Zelda forced herself upright and summoned mana around her. A swirl of emerald energy brought her to her beloved mentor's side, and the princess caught the Sheikah's hand. "Got you!" she called, Impa gripping her hand tightly.

"And I," Ganon rumbled with satisfaction, pointing the trident at them, "have you, oh princess." The prongs erupted with Dark Fire.

That's what you think, Zelda chuckled mentally. On cue, Link appeared between the two Sages and the surge of befouled power, dispersing it with the Master Sword. The Hero locked eyes with their ancient nemesis, Farore's might almost glowing around him. To Zelda's aura vision, he did glow, angelic and pure with a pale emerald nimbus. Impa pulled herself up into Zelda's shadow and vanished, freeing the princess to conjure her Light Bow once more. My Hero. Forming a Light Arrow, she pointed it between the monster's eyes. "Call forth all the debased creatures you wish, Mandrag, it will avail you not!"

"I am Ganon!" the monster roared. He pointed the trident at them again, and Poes, Mothulas and anti-fairies emerged, flying at them. "Your power has limits! Mine does not! I will -- HNN! Not again!" He whirled to face his latest attacker, limping slightly from the slash to his leg, but stopped at the sight of the tall Gerudo general on her sleek courser. "Aveil?!"

"Release my king, vile beast!" Aveil reared her great steed, scimitar raised.

Ganon, leg wound already healed, threw out another wave of power. It threw Link and the Sages back but crushed the very monsters he'd summoned. "I AM YOUR KING!" he roared furiously. "Obey me or die!"

"I would gladly die to aid the Great Ganondorf against you, treacherous usurper!" Aveil charged. No, Aveil, you have no magic! Zelda thought desperately, fighting through the waves of power. Link held out his Master Sword, making better progress than she, but it was clear that neither would reach them in time. Nabooru was more frantic than the rest of them combined, but she was as helpless as a sparrow in a whirlwind.

Ganon snarled and speared Aveil through the abdomen with the trident's central tine, lifting her to his snout as if scooping food up with a fork. Link screamed in grief and frustration. "Fool," he snarled. "Ganondorf is nothing more than a piece of me now." She threw her scimitar into Ganon's neck, and he glanced down idly at the metal sticking out of him before returning his attention to Aveil, ignoring the sword. "Beg for death." A surge of Dark Fire flew up the trident.

"Gerudo...never...beg..." Aveil grunted, refusing even to scream. Zelda's vision blurred, and the princess realized she was crying.

Link howled, grief-stricken, and thrust the Master Sword into the wound still occupied by the scimitar. That got Ganon's attention, and he flung Aveil aside thoughtlessly and turned his attention to the Hero. Zelda caught the Gerudo, lowering her to the ground. "Nayru's Heart," she whispered, but the Dark Fire burning in the general's wounds defied her magic.

"Wh...why?" Aveil whispered.

"Because you're alive," Zelda snapped, "and you're not trying to kill us!" She turned, snapping another Light Arrow off at Ganon while Link fought the Dark Beast in epic battle. "We 'grasslanders' may accept the necessity of death, but we don't let it claim anyone without a fight!"

"An honor...of your own," she sighed, body going pale and cold. "It's what you were trying to tell him. Ganondorf." Zelda nodded, weaving mana, focusing it, channeling it. Nothing worked. "Did you not know I killed your father?" Aveil rasped, and Zelda froze. Wh...what? "No. You didn't." She leaned her head back. "Odd. I think my king was trying to protect me."

So this is war, Zelda realized, pain clutching her heart. Aveil was Link's friend. She fought to help them to save her king. She killed my father. The princess looked down into Aveil's eyes. I can't hate her. Somehow, the thought salved her grief more than she could have imagined. "Ganondorf spoke the truth about your king. He died like a Gerudo, giving his life to slow me." She patted her leg, and Zelda caught a vision of the bandages beneath her trousers.

"I'm not going to let you die," Zelda said forcefully, drawing forth yet more mana.

Aveil grinned and shook her head. "Even you cannot cheat the reaper every time, Princess of Destiny. Save your people, and mine. Slay our king, and save him." She gestured weakly, just catching Link in the wave of her hand. "Your Hero has a Gerudo's heart. It is he who needs you now." The general let her head fall against the sand. "I have done my duty." She closed her eyes, exhaled, and didn't breathe in.

Zelda let out a shuddering sigh, then with an act of will, stood and turned. Summoning another Light Arrow, she focused on it, pouring power into it until she thought she would burst. For us all, she thought, determination filling her as completely as the mana. The symbol of the Triforce of Power appeared over Ganon's head, an inverted black triangle forming beneath the glowing, upright one. The depraved beast was saying something to Link, taunting him, she thought. For Link.

She let the arrow fly.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Trident clashed with sword, throwing Link to the ground. The Hero snarled and righted himself with a flip, what the Sheikah called a kippup, and spun the Blade of Evil's Bane in his hand. He charged, Ganon stabbing at him, but Link rolled past the attack and spun when he was between the monster's legs. Hitting both ankles at once, he rolled away while Ganon roared again. Link's foe whirled, dancing in outrage, unable to favor either hoof. "You will stop stinging me, insect!"

"Delusional as ever," Link shot back, trying to make the burst of power form around his sword. He failed again. I must need to be at full health, he thought, realizing the wounds disrupting his life field were preventing him from harmonizing with the power he wanted. Din sear it, anyway. He backpedaled, Ganon stalking towards him. No crystal on the tail. No glowing wound in his chest. No gut slowing him down -- he's all muscle, like the last time, in that other time stream. And he's the largest of them. Impa was throwing needles into the beast and Ruto was firing bursts from her arm fins, but Ganon ignored them both. Almost casually, he pulled the scimitar from his neck, most of the injury vanishing, and threw it at Darunia. Link's mighty Brother dodged, but that threw the warrior's rolling aim off, and the Goron leader had to settle for crushing more thugs. No wonder he keeps ignoring everyone else. I have to think of something.

Suddenly, a light glowed from Ganon's forehead. The Triforce of Power. This just keeps getting better, doesn't it? Link's blood ran cold when a void of an inverted triangle ate light beneath the Power symbol, 'glowing' darkly at the center of the Triforce lines. Even Onigami recoiled at that. "Ah, you see it. The Void, the true power behind what you call the 'Shadow Force.' Hunger, desire, need -- this is the basis of the Triforce. This is why it has been sought throughout your pathetic history." He stalked towards the Hero, fang-like teeth gleaming as the moon rose. A wolf howled mournfully while twilight died. "The three goddesses knew this, yet created the Triforce anyway. Did you ever stop to wonder why?" Ganon laughed and brought his trident up to strike, but paused at Link's expression. "Perhaps you have...do you, oh pure and noble Hero, hunger for something? Do you want it with a need that consumes your soul?"

Link shuddered, bringing sword and shield up defensively. Mandrag leered at him with poisonous glee. "You do! How delightful! Then you know I speak the truth!" He spun then, parrying Zelda's Light Arrow with his titanic weapon. "And that, wretched princess, will not work again!" He held up the trident...then stopped, his arm shaking as the weapon glowed with golden light.

"I knew that," Zelda replied with a mirthless smile. "Link, now!"

The Hero looked all the way up at Ganon. "Now what?!"

"Trust me!" Zelda flung her hands into the air, gathering a familiar power between them. Ganon shook the trident as if trying to flick something off of it. The glow intensified. "Sages!"

Darunia sprang to his humanoid form, clapping his hands together. Saria appeared on his shoulders, hands clasped in prayer. Ruto and Nabooru were surrounded by protectors instantly as they, too called on their powers. Impa appeared on a hilltop, Renato and Fanadi manifesting on either side, and the Shadow Sage's eyes vanished behind voids.

Link's wings manifested themselves, and though he thought their light would blind him, the Hero could see perfectly. Somewhere in his fairy space, the Light Medallion exuded mana that felt endless. Mandrag's trident froze entirely, and he yanked at it angrily. Link prepared to fly at the King of Evil, but paused, something not quite complete.

Suddenly the Triforce of Power hammered Ganon from within, and the terrible beast swayed, baying in agony. "No! No, Ganondorf! We -- we can work something ouuUUWW!"

"Coward!" Link lunged at the foul creature, Master Sword aimed at the void in the center of his head. "Liar! Your void has nothing to do with the Triforce!" In desperation, Ganon held out his free hand and cast a massive beam of Dark Fire at the Hero. Link snarled and slashed at the burst, surging and spiraling clumsily to charge at the monster. Turning into the beam by mistake, Link grunted as the foul power burned his body and soul. Ganon's fear waned, and the villain turned a beady, hateful eye on the Hero of Time. Already, the giant was starting to pull free of the Sages' power. They can't hold him for long. I have to reach him. Now.

Ignoring the pain, Link flew straight up, then dove right at the monster's head. Ganon gaped, realizing what the Hero was doing, but even the stream of Dark Fire couldn't stop him. Link smote the creature between the eyes, his full weight behind the strike, and while the rest of its body thrashed wildly, its head was frozen in mid-air by the Blade of Evil's Bane. "The heart of the Triforce is compassion! It's faith! It's love! And as long as you're this pitiful, hateful thing, it's a power you'll never understand!" He pulled out the Master Sword and leaped away, flying to land at Zelda's side.

The power of the Sages ripped at the Dark Beast, all three pieces of the Triforce forming barriers around Mandrag. "No! NO! Not again! I won't be sealed again!"

"You will," Zelda said calmly. "You will, and you shall never again be as you were. Mandrag dies for all time this day. You are Ganon, as you claimed, now and forevermore. May whatever greatness truly lives in the Gerudo King have some echo in what you become."

Link felt the magic and truth in his beloved princess' words, her pronouncement becoming both seal and sentence across Time and penetrating the Realms themselves. He was Ganon, Link realized, when he tricked Vaati. He is Ganon. He will be Ganon. All the Hero of Time couldn't say was whether the goddesses would ever find their beloved friend again in the thing the Sages now sealed. Wearily, he sheathed the Blade that had been his greatest fear and was now his trusted companion. Navi flew to his side, and they shared a satisfied grin.

The huge cobalt form shattered like glass, each shard swirling away into darkness and spirit. The Evil Realm, reclaiming its mightiest prisoner, Link realized wearily. Then he jerked back with a start, gasping and drawing the Master Sword in a blur.

Ganondorf stood there, leaning casually on his mighty greatsword. "Well done, kid," he said evenly. Link, shaking with exhaustion and frustration, took a step toward the Gerudo King. "Looks like I underestimated you. Aveil was right -- you have a Gerudo's heart after all."

"Sear you," Link half-sobbed. "When we sealed Ganon away, that felt right. That was how it was supposed to be -- how we are supposed to be! Isn't it!?" He took another step, Master Sword wavering, but the Hero's soul remained resolute. "We were supposed to be friends, Din burn you! We were supposed to be friends."

Ganondorf stared at the Hero, then nodded. Suddenly, the king fell to one knee, the sword falling from his hands. He panted weakly, face a mask of pain, body trembling beyond his control. "Perhaps..." he said then, propping himself up on one arm, looking up at Link and grinning his defiant thief-king's grin. "...in another life, Hero." Somehow, he held up his other arm, forming a fist. "Gerudo! Vanish!" The survivors from among his people froze for a long, tense moment, looking ready to charge to his defense in one final act of loyalty and defiance, but they obeyed, riding and running back into the veiling swirl of desert sand. "This day...is yours." With that, he collapsed.

Link fell to his knees, spent. Gods. Why? He shook his head. Just...why?

Before he could register movement, Zelda's arms were around him, holding him tight. Her glorious, wondrous magic filled him, and the pain, sorrow and weariness all vanished. Oh. Yeah. Right. Somewhere, he found the smile that formed on his lips, but was hers, and looked into her eyes. She smiled at him, tears glistening. "It's over," she said, and he knew she was right.

Those eyes. Mine, at last.